Slide buckle



Dec. 27, P, E, FENTQN SLIDE BUCKLE Filed Aug. 24, 1932 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL E. FENTON, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SCOVILL MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF \VATER-BURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECT- SLIDE BUCKLE Application filed August 24, 1932. Serial No. 630,298.

This invention relates to a slide buckle, or slide loop, such as may be employed for connecting the ends of the shoulder straps or suspenders of overalls with connecting means, such as buttons, on the bib of such overalls.

One object of the invention is to'provide a slide buckle of such construction that the end of the strap or suspender connected therewith may be looped therethrough and held thereby without recourse to sewing or other additional means of connection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle so constructed that the end of the strap or suspender may be folded to loop form and applied to the buckle by a simple threading operation without disturbing the preformed loop.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slide buckle having a button-engaging loop so formed and in such proximity to the strap or suspender when the buckle is connected with the latter that when the strap or suspender is flexed, that is to say, when normal pull is relieved from it, the buckle, although it may move relatively to the button, will not become disengaged from the button.

A still further object of the invention is p to provide a slide bucklehaving a buttonengaging loop with such means adjacent to the button-engaging loop for engaging a strap or suspender that, although the button may not, under ordinary conditions of use escape from the loop of the buckle because of the proximity of the suspender or strap thereto, intentional disengagement of the button from the loop may be accomplished by displacing the button adjacent portion of the suspender or strap.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear from the following description, the invention consists in a slide buckle comprising a frame having side members and top and bottom members, the bottom member being formed to provide a button loop, and intermediate bars connected with the side members and providing a means for engaging a looped strap or suspender, one of said intermediate bars being arranged adjacent to the top member and the other adjacent to the bottom member, and the bar adjacent to the bottom member comprising two parts so spaced as to provide an opening between their ends through which a looped strap may be inserted for engagement with this intermediate bar without disturbing the loop of the strap, each of the parts of this intermediate bar being provided, preferably, with a spur or prong for engagement with the suspender or strap to prevent the latter from creepingrelatively to the portions of the intermediate bar, the space or opening between the ends of the parts of this intermediate bar making possible the depression or displacement of the portion of the suspender or strap overlying same to permit ready insertion and removal of a button relatively to the buttonengaging loop of the bottom member of the buckle, all as will be described hereinafter more in detail and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a front view of a buckle constructed in accordance with the invention, and showing its application to the shoulder or suspender strap and bib button of ordinary overalls. F ig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially upon the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the buckle and suspender strap in such position relatively to the button of the bib as might be assumed upon the relieving of tension or pull upon the suspender or strap. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 3 and showing them in similar positions. Fig. 5 is a front View of the buckle shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating a modification in which the buckle is made in flat form rather than in the stamped concavo-convex form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and Fig. 7 is an edge view of the buckle of Fig. 6.

As hereinbefore indicated, the slide buckle of the invention comprises a frame having the side members 1, a top member 2 and a bottom member 3. The bottom member 3 is so formed as to provide a button loop 4 pref- 3 are arranged two intermediate cross bars, one of which, 7, is arranged adjacent to the top member 2, and the other of which is arranged adjacent to the bottom member 3, and is formed of two parts 88 which terminate at some distance from each other and are thus spaced to provide between their ends an opening 9 for a purpose hereinafter described. Each of the members 88 is preferably provided with a prong or spur 10.

I The arrangement of the intermediate bars 7 and 8-8 relatively to the top and bottom frame members 2 and 3 such as to provide three slots 11, 12 and 13, all of the same extent transversely of the buckle but of different widths so as to most effectively accomplish the clamping action upon the strap hereinafter referred to.

The buckle is preferably made of a single piece of sheet metal and may be so stamped that, in cross section, its parts are of concavo-convex form, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. By thus forming the buckle a relatively light gage of sheet metal may be used for its manufacture, and the concavo-convex or arched fo 'mation of its members imparts to them and to the buckle as a whole the re quired rigidity and strength.

If desired, however, the buckle may be made with its members of flat cross section, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and although the dies for producing the buckle in this form are relatively less expensive than those needed for producing the buckle in the form previously described, a heavier gage of sheet metal must be used in order to provide the requisite strength in the completed buckle.

In order to apply a strap or suspender 14 to the buckle, the strap or suspender end is doubled or folded, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, to produce a loop 15. This loop, or the thus doubled strap as it may be termed, is threaded through the slot 11 from back to front of the buckle, and overlies the intermediate bar 7. Then the loop is passed. over one of the elements 8 of the spaced parts of the other intermediate bar until it abuts against the adjacent side member 1 of the buckle, and then by slightly crumpling the strap the loop thereof may be passed over the other portion 8 of this intermediate bar and afterwards flattened out so that it assumes the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

\Vhen thus assembled in the buckle, it will be seen that the top member 2 and the intermediate bar 7 thereof put such a crimp or bight in the strap that when it is under tension, there can be no possibility of slippage between its doubled portion and consequent change in adjustment of its length. However, it will be apparent that when tension is relieved, the adjustment of the strap, for

length, may be accomplished by changing the relationship of its doubled portion which forms the loop.

In order that the loop 15, when once properly assembled upon the parts 88 of the intermediate bar may not have a tendency to creep toward the axial center of the buckle and thus become disengaged from these portions 88, the spurs or prongs 10 are provided, these spurs o prongs tending to pierce the strap loop 15 when tension is exerted thereupon.

is illustrated particularly in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the spurs or prongs 10 are so shaped as to present an inclined surface 16 to the loop portion of the strap when same is applied to the parts 88, to thereby facilitate such application. However, if desired, the spurs or prongs may be of conventional symmetrical form as illustrated at 10 in Figs. 6 and 7, and preferably bent slightly out of the plane of the buckle.

l Vhen the button loop #1 is applied to a button 17, it will be seen, by reference particularly to Figs. 3 and at, that should relative movement occur between the button loop 4 and the shank 18 of the button, as would be the case when strain upon the strap 14 is relieved, for instance when the wearer stoops or bends, the button cannot escape from the loop 4 because its head will be in engagement with the adjacent portion of the loop 15 of the strap and with the shoulders 5 of the button loop 4. However, when it becomes necessary or desirable to disengage the button loop 4; from the button 17, the portion of the loop 15 of the strap which spans the opening 9 between adjacent ends of the parts 88 of the intermediate bar, may be sufiiciently depressed or displaced by pressure upon the button head to permit it to be freed from the button loop through the opening provided by the ol'l'sets 6. Obviously, the button may be engaged with the button loop 4: in the same manner by displacing that portion of the strap loop 15 which overlies the opening S).

1 rom the foregoing, it will be seen that the loop 15 of the strap, when properly assembled relatively to the intermediate bar 88 of the buckle, lies in such proximity to the button loop 1 that accidental or undesired escape of the button from the button loop is prevented. However, it is possible, due to the provision of the space 9 between the ends of the parts 8-8 to easily connect the button with or disconnect it from the button loop.

Furthermore, as hereinbefore mentioned, the provision of the divided or interrupted two-part intermediate bar 88, makes possible easy assembly of the buckle relatively to the pie-arranged loop of the strap 14.

It is known that slide buckles or slide loops have been made heretofore with interrupted or spaced two-part intermediate bars whereby a strap loop may be readily assembled relatively to the buckle without the necessity of the usual threading operation. It is known, also, that slide buckles have been provided with divided or interrupted loop-engaging bars having prongs or spurs to prevent relative movement of the assembled strap loop. However, in none of the devices known is there provided a slide buckle or slide loop having an interrupted or two-part bar, preferably provided with spurs or prongs, for engagement with a strap loop and arranged in such proximity to the button-engaging loop that a button engaged by such loop will be prevented from escaping from same by the proximity of the strap loop thereto, the divided or interrupted formation of the strap loop engaging bar permitting displacement of that portion of the strap loop overlying the space of the intermediate bar to allow the button to be easily engaged with and disengaged from the button loop.

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, a frame comprising side members, top and bottom members and an intermediate bar adjacent to said bottom member, said intermediate bar comprising two parts carried by said side members respectively and having their ends spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, said intermediate bar adapted to engage the loop of said strap, said bottom member provided with a button-engaging loop so spaced relatively to said intermediate bar that a button engaged by said button loop cannot escape therefrom in the presence of the strap loop upon said two-part bar and spanning the opening between the spaced-apart ends of same, the parts of said intermediate bar provided with downwardly extending prongs adjacent to said bottom member and capable of engaging said strap to prevent relative movement thereof.

2. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, a frame comprising side members, top and bottom members and intermediate bars adjacent to said top and bottom members respectively, the intermediate bar adjacent to said bottom member comprising two parts carried by said side members respectively and havlng their ends spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, said two-part bar adapted to engage the loop of said strap, said bottom member provided with a button-engaging loop so spaced relatively to said two-part bar that a button engaged by said button loop cannot escape therefrom in the presence of the strap loopupon said two-part intermediate bar and spanning the opening between the spacedapart ends of same.

3. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, a frame comprising side members, top! and bottom members and intermediate bars adj acent to said top and bottom members respectively, the intermediate bar adjacent to said bottom member comprising-two parts carried by said side members respectively and having their ends spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, said two-part bar adapted to engage the loop of said strap, said bottom member provided with a button-engaging loop so spaced relatively to said two-part bar that a button engaged by said button loop cannot escape therefrom in the presence of the strap loop upon said two-part intermediate bar and spanning. the opening betweenthe. spacedapa'rt ends of same, each part of said twopart bar provided with a prong capable of engaging said strap to prevent relative movement thereof.

4. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, a one-piece frame comprising side members, top and bottom members and intermediate bars adjacent to said top and bottom members respectively, the intermediate bar adjacent to said bottom member comprising two parts carried by said side members respectively and having their ends spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, said two-part bar adapted to engage the loop of said strap, said bottom member provided with a button-engaging loop so spaced relatively to said two-part bar that a button engaged by said button loop cannot escape therefrom in the presence of the strap loop upon said two-part intermediate bar and spanning the opening between the spacedapart ends of same.

5. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, a frame comprising side members, top and bottom members and intermediate bars adjacent to said top and bottom members respectively, the intermediate bar adjacent to said bottom member comprising two parts carried by said side members respectively and having their ends spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, said two-part bar adapted to engage the loop of said strap, said bottom member provided with a button-engaging loop so spaced relatively to said two-part bar that a button engaged by said button loop cannot escape therefrom in the presence of the strap loop upon said two-part intermediate bar and spanning the opening between the spacedapart ends of same, the opening between said spaced-apart ends permitting displacement of the portion of said strap loop spanning same to allow said button to be engaged with and disengaged from said button loop.

6. In a slide buckle for association with a looped strap, a frame comprising side members, top and bottom members and interme diate bars adjacent to said top and bottom members respectively, the intermediate bar adjacent to said bottom member comprising two parts carried by said side members respectively and having their ends spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, said two-part bar adapted to engage the loop of said strap and said opening affording a means whereby the loop may be assembled upon the two parts of the bar, said bottom member provided With a button-engaging 100p so spaced relatively to said two-part bar that a button engaged by said button 100p cannot escape therefrom in the presence of the strap loop upon said two-part intermediate bar and spanning the opening between the spacedapart ends of same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of August, A. D. 1932.

PAUL E. FENTON. 

